XVI.] THE LUKUGA. 215 



laba, and that in its course it received the Luhimbiji and many May, 

 small streams. No Arab, the chief said, had been down the ^^'^^- 

 river, and traders did not visit this place, all beads and cloth 

 required being obtained by sending to Ujiji. 



It rained very hard in the morning ; but, in company with 

 the chief, I went four or iive miles down the river until navi- 

 gation was rendered impossible, owing to the masses of floating 

 vegetation. It might be possible, however, to cut passages for 

 canoes. Here the depth was three fathoms ; breadth, six hun- 

 dred yards ; current, one knot and a half, and sufficiently strong 

 to drive us well into the edge of the vegetation. 



ENTEANOE TO LUKnGA, OR MAKIE ALEXANDROV^-A. 



This first block was said to continue for four or five miles, 

 when an open channel of about the same length would be 

 found, and that for a very great distance alternate choked and 

 clear portions existed. I noticed that the embouchures of 

 some small streams flowing into the river were unmistakably 

 turned from the lake, and that the weed set in the same direc- 

 tion. Wild date palms grew thickly down the river. 



Early the following day I continued my observations of the 

 entrance to the river. Inside the bar or sill already mentioned, 

 there were three, four, and five fathoms obtained, and three 

 fathoms close along-side the grass which barred our progress. 



I wanted the chief to commence cutting a passage through 

 the grass, offering to leave beads to pay the men. He did not 

 wish to have any thing left with him, for he remarked his peo- 

 ple would say, " You take all these things from the white man. 



